BEIRUT — Israeli special forces conducted an overnight mission in eastern Lebanon searching for information about navigator Ron Arad, who disappeared nearly four decades ago, but came up empty-handed, military officials announced Saturday. The operation resulted in deadly confrontations that claimed dozens of lives and left many more injured.
For nearly 40 years, Israel has pursued answers about what became of Arad after he vanished following his parachute landing from a crashed fighter aircraft in Lebanon during 1986. Arad had been participating in strikes against suspected Palestinian militants when local gunmen took him prisoner while he was still alive.
Israeli military officials declined to specify the landing location for their forces, though Lebanese army sources and state media reported that Israeli commandos touched down in mountainous terrain near the Syrian border before advancing toward the eastern community of Nabi Chit. There, they engaged in combat with Hezbollah militants and local fighters. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that no fewer than 41 individuals died and 40 sustained injuries during overnight fighting in Nabi Chit and surrounding areas.
Lebanese army officials confirmed that three of their soldiers perished during the firefight. They reported that four helicopters participated in the mission, with two conducting the actual landing. Residents also confronted the Israeli unit while Lebanese forces went on high alert and launched illumination rounds.
A Nabi Chit resident speaking anonymously to The Associated Press for security reasons said the Israeli unit entered their community and excavated a cemetery grave before departing. The individual provided no additional information.
Israeli army Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee announced on X that the operation failed to locate Arad’s remains or discover any related evidence.
Hezbollah confirmed their fighters engaged the Israeli force and reported that Israeli warplanes launched approximately 40 air attacks in the region to facilitate the ground unit’s retreat.
Adraee stated that Israeli forces sustained no casualties during the operation.
The Shiite Muslim group known as the Believers’ Resistance initially captured Arad upon his landing and published several photographs of him before he vanished without a trace.
Intelligence suggested Arad remained captive in Nabi Chit through 1988, after which he disappeared following intense fighting between Hezbollah forces and Israeli troops in the southern village of Meidoun.
Last December, retired Lebanese military officer Ahmed Shukr vanished in eastern Lebanon during a meeting with individuals interested in purchasing property. His relatives suspect Israeli agents abducted him for information regarding the case and transported him to Israel.
Shukr’s spouse and sibling recently informed The Associated Press that the former officer possesses no knowledge about Arad’s circumstances.
During 1994, Israeli helicopter commandos penetrated deep into Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley, capturing Believers’ Resistance leader Mustafa Dirani and transporting him to Israel. Dirani gained freedom a decade later through a prisoner exchange with Hezbollah.
In 2008, Hezbollah transmitted a report about Arad through intermediaries to Israel, suggesting he likely perished while attempting to escape his captors and reach Israel. Israeli media published the Hezbollah assessment at that time.
Throughout other areas of Lebanon, Israeli air forces launched strikes across various eastern and southern regions.
These recent airstrikes represent the latest escalation since renewed hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah commenced Monday. The Iranian-supported organization launched rockets and drones toward Israel following the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after Israel and the United States initiated attacks on Iran February 28, sparking the current Middle Eastern conflict.
Saturday morning brought reported airstrikes on southern villages including Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, Arab Saleem, and Jibchit. The Jibchit attack claimed six lives, including four family members, while five people died in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, according to state news sources.
